Compressor.



H. D. SHELTON.

Patented J 11119 28, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' H. 1). SHELTON.

COMPRESSOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 7, 1909.

Patented June 28, 1910.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

onrr en NT @FFEQ.

COMPRESSOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. SHELTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hughesville, in the county of Pettis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Compressor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in compressors designed primarily for compressing air for power or other purposes but which may be utilized for compressing or pumping other fluids than air.

In accordance with the present invention there are provided opposed pumps each acted upon by a groove, ledge or flange in the form of endless sinuate inclined planes which may be so arranged that the pumps move simultaneously in phase so far as their strokes are concerned, though the moving members of the pump are actuated in opposite directions in space, or, in the preferred form of the invention, provision is made whereby the phase relation of the pumps may be changed at will.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description. taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a compressor embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1 with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the inclined frame structure for driving the pumps. Fig. 5 is a detail section of the pump valves and corresponding end of one of the pumps.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a base 1 constituting the bed of the machine and upon which are erected the several fixed portions of the machine which portions may be either cast upon the base or may be secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Near one end of the base there is a prime mover in the form of an engine 2 which may be a reciprocating engine as indicated in the drawings or may be any suitable form of engine adapted to the purposes of the invention. Since the structure of this engine forms no part of the present invention and since known forms of engines will answer the purposes of the invention, no detail description of the engine is deemed necessary. The engine is utilized to drive a shaft 3 having suitable bearings 4 erected on the base,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. May 7, 1909.

Patented June 28, 1910.

Serial No. 494,555.

the shaft 3 extending to the end of the base 1 remote from the engine 2 and there carrying a fly wheel 5.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the shaft carries about midway of its length a wheel or disk 6 on each side of which are secured drums 7 and 8 respectively, each drum being provided at the end adjacent to the wheel 6 with a circumferential flange 9 by means of which the drum 7 or 8 as the case may be is secured to the wheel 6 by bolts 10 or otherwise. The bolts 10 extending through the flanges 9 and wheel 6 constitute the only means of securing the drums 7 and 8 to the shaft 3 for rotation therewith and therefore these drums may be adjusted about the aXis of the shaft 3 to bring the drums in any desired relative arrangement for purposes which will presently appear. Near the outer edge of each drum there is formed a circumferential flange 11 beyond which the drum is reduced in diameter and at the outer end of the drum there is formed another circumferential flange 12 parallel with and of equal diameter to the flange 11 so that between these two flanges there is defined a groove 13. The flanges 11 and 12 and consequently the groove 13 vary in distance from the corresponding face of the wheel 6 and therefore these flanges or ledges are each in the form of endless sinuate inclined planes, and the groove between them is therefore an endless sinuous groove.

Mounted on the base 1 are two cylinders 14 and 15 spaced apart a greater distance than the distance between the flanges 12 of the two drums 7 and 8. These cylinders are in line one with the other and to one side of and parallel with the shaft 3 and have open ends facing each other. The cylinders 14 and 15 constitute pump cylinders and each of course is provided with a suitable piston which latter, in the structure shown may be considered as of the ordinary displacement t e.

z'last on or secured to the upper face of the base 1 is a flange 16 rising from the base and extending from one cylinder 14 to the other but displaced to the side of the longitudinal aXis of the cylinders 14 and 15 re mote from the shaft 3. The major portion of the flange 16 is disposed in one longitudinal plane, but at the central portion the flange is ofl-set in a direction away from the shaft 3 as indicated at 17 while the main body of the flange has continuations 18 in I ledge 20 on each side of the median point' defined by the wheel 6, and formed on the base 1 or secured thereto if desired, on the wall of an opening 21 provided for the accommodation of the wheel 6 and drums 7 and 8, is another ledge 22 on each side of the median line defined by the wheel 6 and parallel with but lower than the corresponding ledge 20.

The piston of each pump 14 and 15 is provided with a piston rod 23 parallel with but displaced to one side of the longitudinal axis of the piston or the cylinder containing the same and this piston rod carries a roller 24 housed between the flanges 11 and 12 and adapted to be engaged by either of them. The roller 24 carried by the piston of the pump 14 engages between the flanges of the drum 7 while the roller 24 carried by the piston of the pump 15 engages between the flanges of the drum 8. Each pump 14 and 15 is provided with an inlet port controlled by a valve 25 and is also provided with an outlet port controlled by a valve 26, these valves being ordinary one-way valves such as are commonly used in pumps of this character. The outlet valve 26 of each pump is connected to a pipe or conduit 27. The pipes 27 are connected to a tee 28 to which may be connected a pipe 29, common to both pipes 27 and leading to a suitable reservoir of compressed fluid or to any other point of utilization of the compressed fluid. Each piston rod 23 is formed with a right angle extension 30 carrying a roller 31 adapted to move along the upper surface of the ledge 22 while the ledge 20 is engaged on its under face by the upper edge of the piston rod. Housed in the spaces in the off-set 17 on opposite sides of the wheel 6 are rollers 32 j ournaled in the walls of the off-set 17 and in the continuations 18 of the flange 16.

When the engine is running then the drums 7 and- 8 are rotated and because of engagement of the rollers 24 with one or the other of the flanges or ledges 11 and 12 the pump pistons are reciprocated. Let it be assumed that as the engine starts the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Then the flange 12 of each drum 7 or 8 will engage the respective roller 24 and cause the movement of the pump piston outwardly with relation to the pump cylinder or in opposite directions one toward the other in the position of the parts as shown. This will cause an inflow of air through the valves 25 until the drums have rotated to bring the rollers to that relation to the wheel 6 defined by the close approach of the flanges 12 thereto. On the continued rotation of the shaft 3 the flange or ledge 11 begins to act and the pump piston'is driven toward the valve end of the respective pump and the valve 25 closes when the valve 26 is opened and the air first drawn into the pump is forced out through the valve 26 into the respective pipe 27 and from thence to the pipe 29 and to the point of utilization or storage.

As will be observed from the showing of Figs. 2 and 3 the active portions of the flanges 11 and 12 are plane and each flange is in the form of endless, sinuate inclined planes so that the strokes of the pump are gradual but of constant speed throughout. It will be further noted that the junction points of the inclined portions of the flanges or ledges are abrupt or sudden. The piston rods are oif-set from the longitudinal axis of the pistons or cylinders so that large drums may be used without a corresponding increase in the width of the machine, and consequently this arrangement results in a saving of floor space. The drag of the flanges 11 and 12 on the piston rods because of the inclined relation of these flanges to the direction of movement of the pistons, is overcome by the engagement of the piston rod with the ledge 20 on the one hand and of the roller 31 with the ledge 22 on the other hand, the ledges 20 and 22 thus acting as guideways for the piston rods. Because of the provision for the adjustment of the drums 7 and 8 they may be adjusted about the axis of the shaft 3 so that the pumps no longer act in phase but may be made to act in any dephased relation desired. This dephased relation is typified by the showing of Fig. 4 and the relation of the action of the pump may be such that with a reciprocating engine the power strokes of the pumps may synchronize with the most eiiicient parts of the active strokes of the engine piston in each direction. Under such conditions there is developed upon the drums 7 and 8 a side strain in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shaft 3 and in the longitudinal axis of the movement of the piston rods of the pumps 14 and 15. To overcome or counteract the side strains the rollers 32 are provided on each side of the wheel 6 thus providing a support resistant to such side stralns and relieving the shaft 3 therefrom.-

What is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, two spaced air compressing pumps having reciprocating pistons in alinement and means for causing the simultaneous actuation of the pump pistons comprising a rotatable member having its axis of rotation parallel With the longitudinal axis of the pumps and its periphery extending beyond the longitudinal axis of the pumps, rollers engaging opposite sides of the said member adjacent to its periphery, and drums on each side of the rotatable member and of less diameter than said rotatable member, each of said drums being provided With an actuating flange or ledge engaging a respective pump piston rod.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, air compressing pumps having reciprocating pistons, and means for causing the actuation of the pump pistons comprising a rotatable member havin its axis of rotation parallel with the longitudinal axis of the pumps, guide rollers on opposite sides of the rotatable member, and drums on each side of the rotatable member and secured thereto and adjustable about the axis of rotation of the rotatable member, one independent of the other, each of said drums being provided With an actuating flange or ledge engaging a respective pump piston rod and having its active face in the form of endless, sinuate inclined planes.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, air compressing pumps having reciprocating pistons With the piston rods off-set from the longitudinal axis of the pumps, and means for causing actuation of the pump pistons comprising a rotatable member having its axis of rotation parallel With the longitudinal axis of the pump, guide rollers engaging the rotatable member on opposite sides thereof, drums secured to said rotatable member and adjustable independently about the axis of rotation thereof, and each provided With an actuating flange or ledge having its active surface in the form of endless, sinuate inclined planes, a roller on each piston rod engaging the actuating ledge of the respective drum, and guiding means for each pump piston rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY D. SHELTON.

WVitnesses E. HUME TALBERT, E. G. SCHLADT. 

